


Gone Rouge

by setrevuo



Series: 28-day ficlet writing challenge [20]
Category: Monsta X (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Actors, Innuendo, M/M, Makeup, Sexual Humor, Theatre
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-22
Updated: 2020-04-22
Packaged: 2021-03-01 19:20:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,212
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23782249
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/setrevuo/pseuds/setrevuo
Summary: Hyungwon demands the upper hand from his makeup artist, but Shownu has other plans.
Relationships: Chae Hyungwon/Son Hyunwoo | Shownu
Series: 28-day ficlet writing challenge [20]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1686037
Comments: 6
Kudos: 26





	Gone Rouge

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt - RECHARGE: write about an activity that replenishes you.

More than under the spotlight, Hyungwon thinks he shines the brightest backstage. 

It’s here that he gets his ultimate high, seated on his vanity throne, with the broadway lighted mirror caressing every flawless inch of his face and challenging the meticulous stylists to perfect even further, if they dare. This is the very peak of his success. All the rest - the clamor of fans, the flashing paparazzi, even the theatre guild’s prestigious awards - dim in value when it comes to this holy process of getting dolled up.

“Where’s Minhyuk?” Hyungwon traces the bustling crowd around him. Fashion and hair stylists, makeup artists, and assistants hurriedly make their way around the various vanity stations. Their drama this season has a high budget, and with it comes high maintenance actors waiting for very specific touch-ups. But when it comes to the highest maintenance, there is little competition.

“Out. Sick,” Kihyun, Hyungwon’s personal assistant, says, to his boss’s visible dismay. 

“Without even a heads up?”

Kihyun opens his mouth, and then thinks the better of it. He taps on his tablet, pausing to push his glasses up the bridge of his nose before looking at Hyungwon again. “But he’s recommended an up-and-coming makeup artist to sub in for him today.”

“Excuse me?” Hyungwon asks, incredulous. “Do I _look_ like a charity?”

“He’s here,” Kihyun says as he eyes a rather out-of-place, lumbering man in plain jeans and a white tee walk into the room.

From his seat, Hyungwon grabs Kihyun by the collar and pulls him in. “And why would I let someone like _that_ touch _this_ face?”

“Because,” Kihyun straightens back up and tries to smoothen the wrinkles and the remaining self-esteem he has left. “Shownu here has already been highly praised by several other high-profile actors. And because none of the usual artists are available in the next hour before the show starts.”

The new assistant is now standing next to them and nods in greeting.

“Shownu,” Hyungwon tastes the name and it comes out as bland. “You have 20 minutes. That’s to give me enough time to get your shit off my face so I can do it on my own.”

Shownu shrugs. If he’s offended, his expression carries little to the outside. Instead Hyungwon swears he sees a fleeting smile. And then Shownu gets to work.

His movements are surprisingly delicate for a man of such a stature. He brought few tools of his own, and resorts to using Hyungwon’s usual spread on the table. Picking up a bottle of moisturizer, he turns around to study Hyungwon’s face. Hyungwon frowns. Shownu then leans down and reaches out a hand to brush the side of his palm against Hyungwon’s cheek, hardly touching his skin and sending a funny feeling shooting through Hyungwon. 

“The _hell_ are you doing?” Hyungwon smacks Shownu’s hand away. 

“Familiarizing myself.” Shownu tilts his head at Hyungwon, eyes still traveling from feature to feature, slowly drinking in what he sees. “Good skin.”

“Obviously,” Hyungwon scoffs. He finally has to be the one to break their eye contact, feeling suddenly uncomfortable. Rolling his eyes, he decides to stare at himself in the mirror, instead. “Are you just gonna stand there?”

“Will you let me touch you?” 

The words sound strange, not because of their delivery but because of Shownu’s expression when he says them. Hyungwon can’t peg him as a weirdly devout fan or simply an artist with a unique process. He sees the assistant having put some of the moisturizer on his hands, and is patiently waiting for a response. 

“Fine,” Hyungwon says and immediately averts his gaze again.

Shownu’s hands are large, nearly covering the entirety of Hyungwon’s face in one sweep. The skin on his palms are softer than Hyungwon had imagined. He also seems to be guarded in putting hardly any pressure into his fingers, tickling Hyungwon more than applying the product as evenly as he could. Hyungwon can’t hold it back anymore. 

“Use more force, you idiot.”

“You want me to be rough with you?”

That’s not what Hyungwon said. “That’s not what I said.”

Shownu doesn’t even try to hide his laugh this time. He finishes applying the product normally, as if he’s always known. He moves onto the next product as he hums a cheery tune. 

Hyungwon’s supposed to get angry now. Where’s the fear? Where’s the respect? And what is this attitude, this sort of improper confidence that makes Shownu think he can make Hyungwon the butt of his own joke? But for whatever reason, as Shownu easily proceeds with the primer and the foundation and the concealer, Hyungwon’s voice stays caught in his throat.

At least Hyungwon’s gained enough - kindness? interest? courage? - whatever it is, to actually start looking at Shownu’s face again. The man isn’t hideous, Hyungwon grudgingly admits. Maybe even handsome enough to take up theatre. Not as the main lead, of course, that’s Hyungwon’s level. Unattainable. But as an understudy, perhaps. When Shownu isn’t boring a hole into Hyungwon’s own eyes, Hyungwon can stand to notice the taut skin, the sharpness of cheeks, the soft dip of a nose, the pout of a concentrated pair of lips.

“Thirsty?” Shownu raises his brows.

Hyungwon hasn’t even noticed that he had been licking his own lips. The assistant is holding out a tube of liquid lipstick.

“Yes,” Hyungwon says automatically. With a shout, he yells, “Kihyun! Iced americano!”

Shownu brings his applier to Hyungwon’s lips and brings his own lips closer, as well. Wide-eyed, Hyungwon slams the back of his head against his headrest. Shownu stops well before he makes contact with Hyungwon, though, before he reverses. But that infuriating smirk is back.

“Is an iced americano enough for your thirst?”

Hyungwon swallows. He doesn’t say any more after that. Eventually, the iced americano does arrive, and he guzzles almost all of it down like it’s water. He’s on fire now, burning from the inside and he desperately prays Minhyuk didn’t give him some sort of bug as revenge for, well, any waking moment he’s around him, really. Hyungwon can’t afford to get a fever, no. The show will be in absolute ruins without him.

“Done,” Shownu finally steps back, standing next to Hyungwon.

Looking in the mirror, Hyungwon does what does best, marveling himself. It’s all thanks to Hyungwon’s own good looks that even a no-name artist can still make himself look this gorgeous. He sticks his nose up in the air, turning this way and that. Every angle is impeccable. But the defining point is the eye makeup. Shownu gave him fierce wings, having a smudged look to give a pale brown ombre effect with his eyeshadow that had perfectly positioned gold flakes. 

“Huh,” is all Hyungwon says out loud. He picks up his cup again, shakes the ice and drinks the remaining, nonchalant.

“You can take it all off now,” Shownu says as he hands over a business card in between his fingers. He leans into Hyungwon’s ear to finish, “Or you can take it all off at my place.”

Hyungwon violently chokes on his coffee. When he catches his breath, he turns around, ready to, well, he’s not sure what. But Shownu’s already gone. And all that’s left of him is the card in Hyungwon’s hand.


End file.
